Most aldermen could point to at least one example where restrictive use covenants resulted in vacant stores causing blight and flight of sales tax dollars to other wards, or neighboring suburbs. "With ownership of real estate comes a burden," says 50th Ward Alderman Bernard Stone, a longtime licensed broker. "You don't let your property go to seed like these people have done...When you close down a shopping center, you shut down the sales-tax revenue this city needs."

While most of the complaints focused on Safeway-owned Dominick's and Albertson's division Jewel-Osco, those specific grocers invest $500 million in stores, usually $5 million or more at each of its locations, and employ 13,500, with 10,000 of those workers union members, says Illinois Retail Merchants Association chief executive officer David Vite. "When a store comes here and makes that $5 million to $6 million investment in the community in capital dollars, they want some reasonable expectation they'll get a return on that investment along the way," says Vite, noting grocers operate on a miniscule 1% to 2% profit margin. Limits on restrictive covenants could affect retailers' decisions to remodel stores, back the building of new outlets or enter additional neighborhoods, he suggests.

"Some of these retailers are headquartered in California, Idaho or Deerfield, IL," Vite adds. "If you want these people in your communities, you have to give them a reason to invest in your community."

The reason is already there, aldermen say, in profitable markets. "I understand it's expensive to do business in the city, but it's a very fertile market," says 44th Ward Alderman Thomas Tunney, who owns retail properties that house his Ann Sather's restaurants. In more affluent neighborhoods, Flores adds, Dominick's and Jewel stores can be found virtually next to each other. "Every time I drive by those areas, those shopping centers are doing great," he says.